Walking with the house cat?

A familiar picture in dogs but have you ever seen a cat walk? No? You don’t see a cat walking on a leash every day either. Why? Fact is, also many of our cats love the change and the run in the nature, however, it is understandable that it seems too dangerous for some cat owners. In this case, a cat harness with a leash would be the best way for your cat to take you for a walk without any risk.  

Every cat is different

The territory of a wildcat is with female animals between 40 and 300 hectares, with male cats up to 1000. Our cats remain mostly in a radius of 600m, but in the country uncastrated tomcats can claim up to 60,000m². Most cats have a great desire for freedom, are curious and want to discover new things. If you don’t have the possibility to keep your cat as a free rider, you can get her used to a breast harness and make regular trips. It’s best to get her used to it from an early age and step by step. But not every cat enjoys the suddenly acquired “freedom”, for many it can also mean an enormous stress. So be aware that you don’t automatically bring joy to every cat by letting them out. If you do decide to do so, there are a few things to consider in advance.

Does every cat like to go for a walk?

To walk the cat is not suitable for every house cat. If your pet is ill or very anxious, you should rather fall back on occupation at home. There are also many dangers lurking in the big city, so you should rather go to quiet places in the countryside. For this purpose, she should also be used to the transport box. Take care of your cat and do not force her, the walk should be positive for her.

A cat goes her own ways, so the cat is more likely to go for a walk with you than you are with her. Don’t drag her around, but give her the freedom to choose her route. In dangerous situations you should be able to retrieve your pet.

Once the cat has saved the walk as great, she wants to go outside again and again. So it could be that she will demand her walks regularly. So consider if you can take her out more often, because going for a walk once doesn’t help much.

Patience is very important

To make the walk with your cat as pleasant as possible for them, you should know that cats should be prepared for it. Patience and training are essential so that your beloved cat always feels comfortable. You should also get her a suitable cat harness, TOBALIE strongly advises against collars, the risk of injury would be too great. The harness should have a back and chest strap, be sturdy and in any case adapted to the size of your cat. If your cat is not accustomed to a cat harness, it is advisable to patiently bring this new feeling closer to her and to get her used to the cat harness step by step. You can read about the best way to train for this here:

• Don’t just put it on!!! Put the  cat harness in their usual place and let them first sniff them and “get to know” them. Sprinkle a few treats around it, so she can get in touch with them.
• Overall, the atmosphere should fit, your cat should be busy and quiet. Radiate calm, don’t be nervous and don’t try to force anything.  
• Positive conditioning is very impotant as well. Your cat should associate the harness with something good. If you try to put it on her, praise her, treats work wonders too. Try to hold a treat in front of the harness and let your darling put her head alone through the harness.
• If it sits well, then first renounce the leash, it should get used to the feeling first and only if you believe that it is ready, leash it additionally.
• Don’t be surprised if your cat’s first steps with cat harness are a bit wobbly on her legs, she has to get used to the feeling first. Positive encouragement in the form of praise and treats also makes sense here. You can also try to distract her a little by playing with her. This way she concentrates on hunting and learns faster how to move with the harness.  
• When she has slowly gotten used to the feeling, leash her and start the first walking attempts inside the apartment.
• Repeat this process regularly over the next few days, only then should you go outside with her.  
• However, do not go into the full immediately, only gradually expand their territory and the duration of the walk.  
• Always pay attention to your cat, some run out the door and are happy, others arehesitant in the beginning and look around after every step. Just give her the time she needs! The many new impressions and sounds can be overwhelming in the beginning.  
• Also think about having your darling chipped so that you can be reached in case he runs away.